Category Archives: Farm Animals

Utopia

7 Replies

Hello, hello! It has been a long time since I have written a post. I’ve shared with you many times on how I don’t feel it’s a good thing to force out a post just to write. I want to write when I actually have something to say. With that said, this still may turn out to be a post of many random thoughts.

There isn’t any one thing that has happened lately and I typically get my inspiration to write something from actual events. There are however, many other things such as thoughts I have on a regular basis. Like I wonder if I am the only one who sees the deceased animal on the side of the road or the trucks full of pigs or cows drive by on the highway and gets a tear in my eye. To me they are a life that has or will be taken away. Or I see a “working dog” in a store and all I can wonder is if their needs are being met. It’s great they can have a job and help but are their needs being met, including feeling loved. Is it being considered that they are feeling beings too.

I will never forget many years ago my mom saying to me that I want to live in Utopia. You know what, she may be right! This actually can be a good or bad thing. On one hand, we should always be striving to make an impact and make the world a better place. I’ll always advocate for animals as well as for people to treat other people with kindness. On the other hand, the Utopia expectations can make you feel let down all of the time. Because things aren’t the way I think they should be I become angry. The key is probably to be somewhere in the middle.

Around those times of trying to make an impact and becoming angry at the world, I feel it’s a good idea to spend time in things we enjoy doing to take a break from those Utopia expectations. I enjoy doing crafty/artsy things and lately watching Lifetime movies (what is about these predictable movies that pull you in?!).

While we may not live in Utopia, we can always work at being a little closer to it.

Now an update on things with me. I am still going to be having a fundraiser for animals but it is taking much longer than I expected to get it started. In the meantime, I have been drawing & painting some. The bee in this post is one of my new characters. Not too long ago I did an animal empathy lesson with some school age children where I had them all sign a kindness pledge and we made donation boxes to collect items for an animal shelter. I also have been enjoying the great weather and spending time with family & friends. Some relatives visited this summer all the way from Norway. And just recently I am looking into getting a Cricut. Anyone have one?

Hope you’re all doing good. Thanks for stopping by!

“LET’S DISCUSS” SERIES #1: PART 2

9 Replies

Thank you to all who took the time to fill out the questionnaire on my first post in this series. I want to take a few minutes to explain a little more why I am doing this. I am not doing this for me. I am not doing this to get more likes or followers. I am not doing this to add more content to my blog. I am doing this for animals. How do I mean? Well here is an example. I made a comment on a social media post about the treatment of farm animals and that I do not believe God would approve. Someone respectfully (which is very appreciated) asked me in reply “what about the sacrifices of animals in the bible?” I was thrilled to have someone ask me this (again…respectfully asked). Dialogue is what I want. Dialogue is how we all learn from each other. THAT is why I am doing this series! 😊

So let’s get on to Part 2 of “Feelings & Emotions.”

Here is the link to the second questionnaire: Let’s Discuss Series: “Feelings & Emotions” Part 2. It will take less than a minute to fill out but will make a huge impact! Thank you in advance!

The Way the World Views Them is Why They’re Treated as They Are

5 Replies

I‘ve been wrestling with the best way to apply my advocacy for animals the last few years. I still don’t have it figured out but the same thoughts keep coming to mind. How can I change the way the world views animals? The way the world views them is why they are treated as they are.

I just watched a video of a man putting tape around a dog’s front and back legs and his mouth. Flopping him around like he was nothing. The whole time this dog was moving around his big dark brown eyes with such fear. This man proceeded to move the dog around like a piece of luggage without any concern for this living being. He proceeded to fling him on the back of his motor bike and sped off. While driving the dog falls of the motorbike onto the road. The guy picks him up like a piece of garbage and flops him back on the bike, this time without even fastening him down. He takes off with one hand on the dog trying to hold him on. You see he was on his way to a “client” to sell this dog for meat. The reality is much worse treatment happens to cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals every day. All for humans, for “normal” society, for food on the table. And while this is happening the animal, the living being, is experiencing extreme fear, panic, and pain.

I am sad (and truth be told angry) that I live in a world where other living beings are seen as less and as something we can do whatever we want with. As long as no one talks about it, as long as we keep hiding our heads in the sand, as long as we cover our eyes & ears and chant “la la la la la” we’ll just keep on trucking.

Not me, not us who can’t keep on trucking. Who in good conscious can’t turn their back on these animals. I don’t know what the answer is and I am unsure of my next chapter of animal advocacy. I’ll just keep praying for clarity on this.

Some people worry about how this affects my own well-being, but the truth is I would be worse off if I didn’t do anything. I couldn’t live with myself. Much of my therapy is in writing posts such as this. It’s a way to let some of the anger, frustration, and sadness out.

I would like to end by letting you know the dog I spoke of in this post was saved by a kind man who saw what the guy was doing to him. The kind man followed him, chased him, stopped him over & over trying to talk the guy into giving up the dog. He finally did! The kind man immediately took all the tape off of the dog and gave him lots of well-deserved pets, hugs, and kisses.

*TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED, EVEN IF THEY’RE A DIFFERENT SPECIES.*

Sunday Pawzing for Angels of All Kinds

4 Replies

Happy Sunday everyone!

I am so excited to share this post about a recent follower, Alice. Alice shared the following photo of her and Coconut with me.

I asked her for more information regarding the comment she left with this picture and this is what she said:

My precious, rescued sheep are my angels and best friends.❤ This one pictured here we named Coconut, who was a terrified and abused girl, that was so incredibly loving and tame and trusting of us, we sadly weren’t allowed to take her on though, unlike our other sheep, as the ‘farmer’ insisted on ‘keeping her’. Our precious sheep have changed both mine and my mother’s lives, they came at a very difficult time, starting with our first little orphan lamb, called Poppy. (She is my profile picture, as a painting I did of her, she sadly only lived for 11 months as was poorly, but she was a true angel!) I could go on and on about them!❤🐑🤗

Here is the the amazing painting of Poppy she mentioned. Wow, such great work! Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): Animals Need To Relax Too

2 Replies

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back & relax and relaxing isn’t just for us.

There are so many animals that never get to really relax. Cows kept in confinement and hooked up to machines so humans can take their milk. Calves kept in the smallest possible area so they don’t build muscle so humans can have veal. Elephants chained up so they can “perform” for humans. Pit bulls living every minutes in fear of abuse so humans can use them to make money in dog fights. The list goes on but since I try to keep my Sunday posts “light” I will stop there. You get the idea!

But the theme of WHO is causing all of this harm is humans. I can’t help but imagine what God would say if we sat down and asked him what he thought about how humans treat his animals.

Cino is able to curl up and relax this Sunday and I hope the animals in your care are able to as well.

cat resting
Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): March 2021

7 Replies

It’s Sunday! Time to kick back and relax.

We all agree that 2020 and even 2021 have been incredibly challenging years. This month has turned out to be a bugger for me as well. March 1st I fell and injured my ankle pretty badly. I have never had anything quite like this happen and it has been very challenging. I tried for the first few weeks to go on with life as normal but it wasn’t working. I was struggling in many ways and the demands of life can make you feel pressured. Now I am concentrating on getting better and making that the priority.

My birthday was last Sunday and there wasn’t much celebrating because of my injury and not being able to get together due to the pandemic. But I received gifts and cards in the mail along with a number of phone calls and messages. My mom also dropped off some goodies and gifts for me.❤️ One of the gifts was a wreath I have been wanting for months that I found on Etsy. Here is a picture of the wreath as I opened it up. It’s still in the box and after checking it over thoroughly, it is also Cino approved.

Continue reading →

Sunday Pause (Paws): Extending Love

7 Replies

It’s Sunday & it’s Valentine’s Day!

We wish a happy one and send you love from our little Valentine to yours.

Give your pets some extra hugs & kisses today and remember that love you FEEL for your pet should be extended to all animals.

Happy Sunday!

Sunday Pause (Paws): Conversations Require True Listening

2 Replies

It’s Sunday! Time time kick back & relax. Maybe make a Sunday feast, watch a movie, or just have a good conversation with someone.

Most of the time my posts come from something that occurred during the week. There hasn’t been much occurring so it’s been harder to write posts. I suppose we can blame it on the pandemic because we haven’t been getting out and doing things. But I have been working out in the field this entire time and the other day I had a conversation with a coworker that prompted this post.

I was filling in for a teacher so she could take her break. It was lunch time for the kids. Lunch was hamburgers, vegetables, and fruit. The other teacher asked me “are you vegetarian or vegan?” I answered “vegetarian on the way to vegan.” He asked what I meant by that. I told him I am having a hard time giving up cheese and that I need to work on finding other products to use as a binder instead of eggs. He said “if they’re raised and cared for right and treated humanely it shouldn’t be a problem, but that is the problem they aren’t.” I replied “yes, they aren’t.” He then said “you could raise your own chickens so you can raise them humanely.” I replied “it’s not just about raising them humanely. I truly believe that God did not create animals just so we can slaughter them and harm them. I know that’s seen as normal but Continue reading →

It’s About It All

6 Replies

What is my purpose to this blog, to animal advocating?

It’s not about experimenting on animals. It’s not about pets being neglected and abused. It’s not about the horrors of factory farming. It’s not about dog fighting. It’s about ALL of it!

In this world, animals are thought of as “less” than us. Less worthy, less important, and only here for humans. That is an easy way to think about it. One that holds us to no responsibility for how we treat them.

I believe God created animals as he also created us, and that he gave us the responsibility to care for them. That is what “dominion over” means. If we were to sit down in front of God and ask him if he approves of how the world treats them, how we are caring for them, what would he say? In my heart I just can’t believe he would say “job well done.”

If we were suppose to kill them for food, use them to experiment on, and so on, why would he create them with feelings? They feel pain, fear, sadness, loneliness, confusion, and worry, just as we do. Why would a God of love accept that?

This isn’t about crazy animal lovers. This is about God’s creation, his commands, our responsibility, and the respect for all life.

So it comes down to this…those of us who help animals do not need to defend ourselves for our empathy and care for all animals, but others do need to explain why they don’t.